Paso Robles man sentenced to 12 years for child molestation, rape
A Paso Robles man convicted of molesting and raping a child under the age of 14 was sentenced to 12 years in state prison Wednesday.
A jury convicted 48-year-old Noe Simental Arce of lewd and lascivious acts and sexual penetration of a child younger than 14 on May 8.
The crimes occurred between August 2019 and April 2022 in Paso Robles, during which time the jury found he exploited the trust and confidence of a particularly vulnerable young victim — which added two aggravating factors to the conviction — a previous San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office news release said.
He repeatedly targeted the child over two to three years, the agency said.
According to a Wednesday news release from the agency, written statements were read aloud in court prior to Arce’s sentencing by the child’s mother and the child.
“She begs God in her prayers to make her ‘normal’ again,” the child’s mother said during the sentencing. “We will not be broken. These crimes are the worst in our communities and they cannot be tolerated.”
In a written statement to the court, the child said she forgave Arce and hoped her “coming forward may prevent this from happening to someone else” and was proud of herself for her bravery and speaking up.
During the two-and-a-half week trial, Arce maintained his innocence and claimed the crimes did not occur. The child, child’s family members, medical personnel and law enforcement also testified in the trial.
Arce faced a maximum sentence of 14 years in state prison — which Chief Deputy District Attorney Lisa Muscari advocated for — but Arce’s attorney argued he should be granted probation in lieu of a prison sentence.
San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Catherine Swynsen denied the defense’s request and sentenced Arce to 12 years in state prison. He will also have to register as a sex offender upon his release.
